Automatic cutoff device



July 18,1944. w. WATERMAN 2,354,161

AUTOMATIC CUTOFF DEVICE l Filed Feb. 8, 194:5

Patented July 1s, 1944 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC CUTOFF DEVICE William Waterman, Chicago, lll. Application February 8, 1943, Serial No. 475,140

11 Claims.

This invention relates to automatic cut-olli devices, and among other objects aims to provide improved devices for automatically restricting or cutting oil iluid ilow under predetermined conditions.

The nature of the invention may be readily understood by reference to an illustrative device embodying the invention and shown in the accompanying drawing.

In said drawing, the gure is a longitudinal section of the device.

The illustrative device is normally open to iiow, but is designed automatically to cut oil ilow in a line or the like runder predetermined (usually abnormal) conditions. In aircraft, for example, the device prevents dumping of hydraulic iluid if a line be punctured or broken by gun re or by any other cause. In the present case the condition determining operation of the devi-ce is an abnormal volume of flow, independently of rate of flow or of viscosity of the fluid.

Most instrumentallties operated by hydraulic pressure iluid employ a. specic limited volume of liquid for their operation. In aircraft, for example, wing and tail flaps, wheel retracting gears, etc., are operated -by a hydraulic piston and cylinder requiring a limited volume of pressure liquid for their operation. When high pressure systems are used (as in the case of aircraft to reduce weight), the volume of liquid required for such operation is relatively small. The present device is adjusted to permit flow of the required volume (with some excess if desired as a safety factor), but to close if this volume be exceeded, as would be the case if the line were broken.

Insensitiveness to variation in rate ofilow and viscosity and insensitiveness to pressure changes due to variation in viscosity are important. For example, surges in' a line caused by presence of air may result in abnormally high rate of ilow, though of course the volume of such ilow is generally' very small. Operation of the automatic cut-oil' must therefore not be influenced by variations in rate of flow. Variations in viscosity, particularlyin oil. (the liquid used in most hydraulic lines) cause great differences in the pressure required to produce a given rate of ilow. 'I'his variation is extreme in aircraft which are subject to exceedingly wide temperature ranges, e. g. v-40 F. tor 160 F., within which rame oil viscosity varies from 50 S. S. U. (at 160 F.) to about 25,000 S. S. U. (at 40 F.)

In the present device, the controlling element, here represented by the valve I0, is directly ex-l posed to the force of the flowing liquid travelling inside housing II in the direction of arrow I 2 and tending to move the valve toward its seat I3 and in this instance to close the line on seating. Closing of the valve is prevented under normal conditions -by restraining means in the form of a metering device which counteracts the valve closing force and delays closing until a predetermined volume of liquid has passed through the line. The clearance I4 between valve I0 and housing II is great enough not unduly to restrict ilow, but the clearance may vary if necessary (by use of a different sized valve as presently explained in greater detail) to adjust the valve closing force.

The metering device operates to delay closing of the valve inversely as the rate of ilow. As here shown closing movement of the valve opcrates to displace liquid from cylinder I5 through an adjustable orice I6. In the present case the orice is carried in the piston or plunger Il, the latter being connected with valve IIl by plunger rod I8.

Preferably the connection of plunger I'I to rod I8 allows some play to avoid the necessity of fabrication to absolute concentricity between the bore of cylinder I5 and that of the plunger rod bore I9, and also between the plunger I1 and therrod I8. In this case rod I8 is provided with a head 20 which loosely ilts in a socket inside plunger I'I. Valve I0 is connected to the end of rod I8 by a pin 2l. Cylinder I5 is held within the housing II by a series of projecting arms 22 (spaced so as to allow iree travel of fluid between them) which t against the end 23 of the housing in which position the cylinder is held by the fitting 24` screw` threaded to the housing as at 25. A gasket 2B seals the connection. 'I'he cylinder is further centered in the housing by radial arms 21 located adjacent the other end'of the cylinder.

Liquid enters and leaves cylinder I5 through ports 28 and bore 29 within the plunger I8, the bore being in communication with orice I6. At least one of the' orifices 28 (the right hand pair in case) is so locatedin plunger rod I8 that Y it clears the inder I5 before valve i0 this occurs further restraint on valve l0 is reend of plunger rod bore I9 in cylleased and the latter may close quickly to avoid reaches its seat. When interposed in the fluid passage to prevent solid A from reaching and possibly clogging the A seal 34 of neoprene or other suitable material prevents leakage around the filter screen. Plug 32 is formed hollow as at 35 to provide a liquid passage and is slotted at 36 to receive a screw driver or similar tool. Plunger i1 is preferably provided with a hexagonal or non-circular extremity 31 to receive a wrench for holding it for insertion and removal of plug 32.

The force exerted by the travelling liquid on valve lil advances plunger I1 and displaces fluid from cylinder I5 through orifice It. The valve closes on its seat when the iluid has been substantially discharged from cylinder I5, being released Just prior to closing as aforesaid. A light spring 38 counteracts the force of gravity on the valve if it be in a vertical position. The spring as well as friction modify the theoretical operation ofthe valve since it would permit unlimited fiow at very low velocities or velocities below a predetermined minimum. 'In actual practice, however, normal velocities are so much greater than this predetermined minimum that the efi'ects of the spring and friction can be ignored. While the the valve when flow ceases, it is not necessary for this purpose since the valve will be opened by reverse flow. On opening the valve, liquid reenters the cylinder I5 through orifice IO.

To give the desired operating characteristics stated above the ratio of the rate of flow of liquid past valve lil to the rate of discharge through oriiice It must be substantially constant in which event operation of the device will be substantially insensitive to variations in viscosity or rate of flow. Increase in viscosity increases the closing force on valve I0; however, it also increases the resistance to discharge through oriiice ii. When the valve i0 together with the exterior 38 of the end of the cylinder adjacent the valve is appropriately streamlined, the closing force on the valve I II varies as the square of the velocity of the fluid through the housing, that is,

wherein F represents the closing force, V, the velocityof the fluid and C a constant.

However the force required to discharge liquid from cylinder l5 depends on the shape of the discharge orifice. For a generally circular orifice, the Iresisting force (which is the same as the closing force since it counter-balances it) varies as the square of the discharge velocity, that is,

F=^D2 v wherein Fis the closing or resisting force, v the velocity of discharge, ever, if the orifice be very narrow in relation to particles orifice.

spring tends also to open and E a constant. How;

such as would characterize escape of the oil past piston I1, the escape velocity is alinear function of the resisting force F, that is.

wherein D is a constant.

Transposing: In all cases.

In all cases for discharge of oil through a circular orifice,

N/T 0- E For discharge through a narrow or slit orifice.

`must be a constant. Accordingly, for discharge through a round orifice F pim/g, E

which is a constantl for it contains no variables.

the orince area AThis can never be a constant 1because it is a its circumference as where it is a narrow slit 76 function of F, that is the force on the valve, which varies with the velocity and viscosity of the fluid. The laws governing viscosity are similar. Por

' example,

F -'-C':V1

wherein a: is a variable depending on viscosity.

Ilor discharge from the metering device through a circular orifice,

F=EIDI iiow, the discharge orifice on the metering device should be circular in section. If, on the hand. it be desired that the operation follow some other law, proper regulation may be eifected either by changing the shape of the oriiice or by permitting a certain percentage of tbe liquid in cylinder il to escape around the piston as well as through a round or nearly round orifice. It should be understood that the term "oriiice is intended to include all openings or with relation to the spaces through which inder I5.

By adjusting the size of orifice I6 (as by employing an appropriate orifice plug 30) the device may be adjusted to varying volumes of ilow so as to close in the event a speclilc volume of flow in a given line is exceeded. Further regulation may be effected as stated above by varying the clearance Il which varies the closing force onthe valve and also by varying the contour of the valve and the streamlining around the surface 39. Ordinarily variation in valve contour and contour of the surface 39 is not required since adequate regulation maybe effected simply by proper adjustment of the metering orifice. Preferably the valve surface and surface I9 should be efficiently streamlined so as to minimize turbulence in the fluid as it travels through the housing.

This application is a continuation in part of my co-pending application Serial No. 452,991, filed July 31, 1942.

Obviously the invention is not limited to the details of the illustrative device since these may be variously modified. Moreover, it is not indispensable that all features of the invention be used conjointly since various features of the invention may be used to advantage in different combinations and sub-combinations.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. An automatic cut-off device for a fluid line comprising in combination a valve housing, a normally open valve movable by fluid flow to close the passage through said housing, and brake means including a fluid flow passage so designed flow characteristics of the valve as to resist closing of the valve and operative to permit closing of the valve on passage of a substantially predetermined volume of fluid at velocities exceeding a predetermined minimum.

2. An automatic cut-off device for a fluid line comprising in combination a valve housing, a normally open valve movable by fluid flow to close the passage through said housing, brake means including a fluid flow passage so designed with relation to the flow characteristics of the valve fluid escapes from cylsubstantially predetermined volume of fluid at velocities exceeding a predetermined minimum, and means for releasing from the valve the resistance of the brake just prior to engagement A of the valve with its seat.

3. An automatic cut-off device for a fluid line comprising in combination a valve housing, a normally open valve movable by fluid flow to close the passage through said housing, and brake means including a fluid flow passage member so designed with relation to the flow characteristics of the valve as to resist closing of the valve and operative to permit closing of the valve on passage of a substantially predetermined volume of fluid at velocities exceeding a predetermined minimum, said member being removable so that it can be replaced by one of different size or shape.

4. -An automatic valve for a fluid line comprising in combination a valve housing having a valve seat, a normally open valve movable by fluid flow toward said seat, and brake means including a fluid flow passage so designed with relation to the velocity characteristics of the valve as to resist seating of the valve and operative to permit seating of the valve on passage of a substantiallypredetermined volume of fluid at velocities exceeding a predetermined minimum. I

5. An automatic valve for a fluid line comprising in combination a valve housing having a valve seat, a. normally open valve movable by fluid flow toward said seat, and brake means including a fluid flow passage ,so designed with relation to the viscosity characteristics of the valve of the valve and operative seating of the valve on passage of a substantially predetermined volume of fluid at velocities exceeding a predetermined minimum.

6. An automatic valve for hydraulic systems comprising in combination a housing through which liquid flows having a valve seat, a valve inside said housing movable by the liquid toward said seat, a brake cylinder and piston connected to said valve and extending lengthwise of the passage inside said housing and being surrounded by the flowing liquid, said cylinder being connected to the housing so that closing movement of the valve causes movement of the piston in the cylinder to displace liquid in the latter, and means including an orifice which permits liquid in said housing to flow into and out oi' said cylinder for retardlng seating of said valve. said oriflce and valve shapes being so designed that sufficient liquid -in the cylinder will be discharged therefrom to permit the valve to seat in the time required for a predetermined volume of liquid to pass through the housing at velocities exceeding a predetermined minimum.

7. An automatic valve for a hydraulic line comprising in combination nal connections to adapt it for connection into and to form a part of the main line, and having a valve seat, a valve inside said housing surrounded by the liquid and pulled by the flowing liquid toward said seat, a brake cylinder and pissaid valve and extending lengthwise of the passage inside said housing and being surrounded by the flowing liquid, said cylinder and piston being connected to the housing and valve so that seating movement of the valve causes movement of the piston in the cylinder to displace liquid in the latter, and means including an oriflce which permits liquid in said housing to flow into and out of said cylinder for retarding seating of said valve, said orifice and valve shapes being so designed that sufllcient liquid in the cylinder will be discharged therefrom to permit the valve to seat in the time required for a predetermined volume of liquid to pass through the housing at velocities exceeding a predetermined minimum, said orifice being of such shape that increase in resistance to escape of liquid due to increase in viscosity thereof is substantially proportional to the increase in resistance to flow of liquid past the valve and vice versa, whereby the effect on the seating movement of the valve of variations in viscosity of the liquid is minimized.

8. An automatic valve device comprising in combination a valve housing having a valve seat, avnormally open valve movable by the flowing liquid toward said seat, said valve having extending longitudinally from it a piston and piston rod. a cylinder of smaller diameter than the passage in said housing surrounded by the flowing liquid in said passage, said cylinder being anchored in said housing against movement with the liquid, said piston being inside said cylinder and having its rod extending through the end of said cylinder, a replaceable member having an escape a housing having termi- A orifice for said cylinder designed to regulate the escape of liquid therefrom on seating movement of the valve to cause complete seating of said valve to be responsive to the passage of a predetermined volume of liquid through the housing at velocities exceeding a predeterminedminimum.

9. An automatic cut-off device comprising in combination a valve housing, a normally open valve movable by the flowing liquid to close the passage through said valve, said valve having extending longitudinally from it a piston and piston rod, a cylinder of smaller diameter than the passage in said housing surrounded by the flowing liquid in said passage, said cylinder being anchored in said housing against movement with the liquid, said piston being inside said cylinder and having its rod extending through the end of said cylinder, a member having an escape oriflce for said cylinder to regulate the escape of liquid therefrom on closing movement of the valve to cause complete closing of said valve to be responsive to the passage of a predetermined volume of liquid through the housing at velocities exceeding a predetermined minimum, said escape orifice being of such shape that the increase in resistance to escape of liquid due to increase in viscosity thereof is substantially proportional to the increase inresistance to flow of liquid past the valve and vice versa, whereby the effect on the closing movement of the valve of variations in viscosity is minimized.

10. An automatic metering and cut-off valve for a hydraulic line comprising in combination a valve housing forming a fluid passage interposed in and constituting a part of said line, a normally open valve exposed to the flow of fluid in said passage and movable by the fluid to close said passage, a brake cylinder and piston in said passage to cause closing of the valve to be responsive to flow of a predetermined volume of liquid past the valve at velocities exceeding a predetermined minimum, and means including an escape orifice for said cylinder to compensate for the effect of variations in viscosity of the fluid on the closing movement of the valve, said escape orifice being of such shape that the increase in resistance to escape of fluid due to increase in viscosity thereof is substantially proportional to the increase in resistance to flow of fluid past the valve and vice versa, whereby the effect on the closing movement of the valve of variations in viscosity is minimized.

11. An automatic metering and cut-off valve for a hydraulic line comprising in combination a valve housing forming a fluid passage interposed in and constituting a part of said line, a normally open valve exposed to the flow of fluid in said passage and movable by the fluid to close said passage, a brake cylinder and piston in said passage to cause closing of the valve to be responsive to flow of avpredetermined volume of liquid past the valve at velocities exceeding a predetermined minimum, means including an escape orifice for said cylinder to compensate for the effect of variations in viscosity of the fluid on the closing movement of the valve, said escape orifice being of such shape that the increase in resistance to escape of fluid due to increase in viscosity thereof is substantially proportional to the increase in resistance to flow of fluid past the valve and vice versa, whereby the effect on the closing movement of the valve of variations in viscosity in minimized, and a port uncovered by predetermined closing movement of the valve to release said hydraulic brake to permit the valve to close freely.

WILLIAM WATERMAN. 

